NZ | Shopping Malls

[IThomas]

Pie Face to open over 60 stores in New Zealand

Pie Face, the Sydney-based bakery chain, has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Island Subway owners Jared Palmer and Julian Field to roll out at least 62 stores in New Zealand over 10 years.

The sweet and savoury pie maker, which currently operates 76 sites in Australia and opened its first of eight Manhattan stores last month, will open an Auckland store in April. Palmer and Field paid an undisclosed up-front fee to Pie Face and will pay a share of royalties, trading profit and marketing levies in perpetuity. "We are like-minded in our hands-on approach to operations and see a bright future for our brand in the NZ market," Wayne Homschek, co-founder of Pie Face said in a statement. Products will initially be imported from Pie Face Australia and then produced under licence in New Zealand.

[IThomas]

Albany shopping centre building delay

Supermarket giant Progressive Enterprises will not begin building its $100 million Albany shopping centre with a 40-shop fashion precinct until next year. The Australian-owned Countdown operator paid $40 million for the land and has been in negotiations with builders for the $60 million construction job due to begin this year. But Progressive's communications manager, Luke Schepen, said there were delays. "We have not commenced construction and we're still finalising some details. We've haven't chosen a builder," Schepen said. "Its timeline has been pushed out a little." "We're not in a position to finalise construction tenders and no leasing has started. I don't have a start date."

However, Greenstone Group, which rose to prominence building apartments for failed ex-NZX listed Blue Chip, has announced it has won the right to run the project. "Greenstone Auckland was awarded the development and project management roles for a new retail project being developed by Progressive Enterprises [Countdown] in Albany," Greenstone announced. "The project is consented and construction is programmed to commence in spring 2012 with an opening in late 2013. This development includes a Countdown supermarket and approximately 40 specialty stores," Greenstone said. Last year, a far more ambitious $200 million plan for the land was being floated, with apartments and offices on the land.

The site between Westfield Albany and the Northern Motorway behind the Mitre 10 Mega on Oteha Valley Rd has had an unfortunate past and Progressive initially only bought the leasehold for around $20 million. Pressure from the Bank of Scotland resulted in Progressive paying a further $20 million to freehold the site so it now has total control. Progressive wants to challenge the Foodstuffs (Auckland) dominance of the area, which runs its boutique-style New World in the Westfield mall and its big Pak'n Save next door, said to be one of New Zealand's single most profitable supermarkets.

Schepen said Countdown opened in Manurewa this week, would open in Wellington's Newtown next month, and in Mt Roskill and Tawa early next year. Countdown Manurewa on Brown Rd is a 4200sq m shop with 255 carparks, employing about 120 staff, the business said. Countdown has 160 supermarkets in New Zealand employing about 18,000 staff and selling about 20,000 products in each store. Meanwhile, executives from British-headquartered Aviva were in Auckland yesterday, examining prospects of making their Shore City shopping centre a fashion hub. They are expected to bring fashion brands to New Zealand which are active in their portfolio overseas and not already trading here.

Under construction
Albany: building not yet started.
Manurewa: opened this week.
Newtown, Wellington: next month.
Stoddard Rd, Mt Roskill: next year.
Tawa, Wellington: next year.

[mobus]

Originally Posted by ItalicSiciliano

Would you like in central Auckland, a beautiful glass cube as the one on Fifth Avenue?



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